UNDERGRADUATE PROSPECTUS - Ahmedabad University
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UNDERGRADUATE PROSPECTUS Ahmedabad University is dedicated to rigorous academic pursuit with a focus on building enquiry as a value through interdisciplinary learning. We provide a liberal education that prepares students to think deeply and creatively across fields, and emerge as independent thinkers and compassionate leaders, who can innovatively engage with the complex challenges of our society. As a research university, we are committed to the discovery of ideas that enhance our understanding of the issues that face our society. We are building an environment where students and professors explore by reflecting, challenging each other’s views and assumptions through data and rigorous discussions and collaborate to develop insights. This learning process is mediated by projects, fieldwork and a belief that good theory leads to good practice.
Our purpose is “to foster continuous progress of self and society.”
The University’s Mission is:
• To prepare leaders of outstanding character who will contribute
significantly to their fields of study and practice
• To build an evolving learning environment that is based on
cross-disciplinary linkages among the arts, sciences, and professional
disciplines, combined with rigour and reflection
• To actively advance research and intellectual enterprise at the
University and in society
• To promote independent-mindedness and diversity across all
dimensions of the University
• To generate knowledge that provides a context of learning and
contribution to India and the world communities
• To actively advance the social, economic and ecological development
of local, national and international communities
• To catalyse students to mature into critical thinkers who are analytically
equipped, practically oriented and ethically driven
OUR FOUNDATIONS Established by the Ahmedabad Education Society
(AES) in 2009, Ahmedabad University is the Society’s
most ambitious endeavour thus far. The Ahmedabad
Education Society was founded over 80 years ago, at
the behest of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home
Minister of India, by illustrious leaders like Kasturbhai
Lalbhai, the doyen of the Indian textile industry and
Ganesh Mavalankar, the first Speaker of the Indian
Parliament, the Lok Sabha. AES was created to advance
education in Gujarat and eventually, throughout India
and the world. Over the course of its history, AES and
its leaders have played significant roles in the founding
of national institutions like the Indian Institute of
Management Ahmedabad, the National Institute of
Design, the Physical Research Laboratory and CEPT.
UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP
SANJAY LALBHAI
Chancellor
Mr Sanjay Lalbhai is the Chancellor and Chairman, Board of
Governors, Ahmedabad University. He is the Chairman and
Managing Director, Arvind Limited, (formerly the Arvind
Mills Limited) which has businesses in textiles, clothing, and
infrastructure development. He presides over the operations
of all the textile and clothing operations of the Lalbhai
Group.
Mr Lalbhai was a member of the Board of Governors of
the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. He is also
the President of Ahmedabad Education Society and chairs a
number of well-known educational institutions in Gujarat.
Mr Lalbhai is the Chairman of ATIRA’s (Ahmedabad Textile
Industry’s Research Association) Council of Administration.
PANKAJ CHANDRA
Vice Chancellor
Professor Pankaj Chandra was the Director of the Indian
Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and a Professor
of Operations and Technology Management at IIM
Ahmedabad (IIMA) and IIMB. He received his PhD from
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He
was a tenured professor at McGill University and he has
taught at several reputed universities in India and abroad.
He was the Chairperson of the Doctoral Program at IIMA
and the first Associate Dean (Academic) at ISB, Hyderabad.
He was part of the founding team at the Centre for
Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship at IIMA and
its first Chairperson. He was a member of two High Powered
Committees – the Government of India Committee on
Rejuvenation of Higher Education (Yashpal Committee)
that re-looked at the Indian Higher Education system, as well
as the committee on the Autonomy of Central Institutions.
He was also a member of the Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India. He serves on the Boards of several institutions and
companies.
Professor Chandra’s research is on Manufacturing
Policy, building technological capabilities and HiTech
Entrepreneurship.
REIMAGINING EDUCATION
The Undergraduate Programme at Ahmedabad University provides skills, promotes citizenship, builds
courage and inculcates responsibility. It is aimed at providing broad and deep education that will equip
students to navigate the world in which they live and become agents of change in the betterment of
their own lives and that of the society. The Undergraduate education is premised on the fact that it is
broad enough for the students to discover their passion in life and prepare them to pursue it and yet
build deep expertise in their chosen field. It is the ambition of the University to facilitate a crossover
of disciplinary learning. Undergraduate education, for many, is also a terminal degree. Hence, it must
provide a pathway to earning a livelihood.
Most Undergraduate students are still discovering their passion when they enter the University.
Therefore, the Undergraduate period comprises formative years that allow students this discovery
through flexibility in programmes and curriculum, help build concern for issues facing society and
action orientation through appropriate pedagogy and exposure, and create an environment that
develops love for life-long learning.
The design of our programme New Pedagogic Practices
has been put together with the
following key values in mind: Instead of the traditional lecture-based method,
our emphasis is on teaching students to think
for themselves: learning to link theoretical
Diversity schemes to living contexts and bringing
one’s concepts to bear on the world at large.
Positive and respectful interactions with a Consequently, Ahmedabad University places
diverse group of peers can enhance one’s a premium on exploring new, experimental
understanding of self and others, ability to pedagogic methods in order to revitalise the
work in teams, and open-mindedness that is so classroom experience for a new generation of
crucial for developing innovative ideas. Such students. In keeping with this spirit, our faculty
interactions are necessary to prepare students have tailored a series of innovative courses: for
for the challenges of an increasingly pluralistic instance, recent batches have been studying
and globalising society. Furthermore, the the history of science through the medium of
diverse perspectives, skills and experiences graphic novels, learning physics through the
which students bring to the campus, enrich process of constructing musical instruments and
the learning environment for all and improve being introduced to forensic biology by crafting
the quality of discussion and research. The and solving simulated crime-scenes. Moreover,
University is committed to fostering a we have partnered with US-based Olin College
welcoming and respectful environment in of Engineering in implementing project-based
which, people from diverse backgrounds can learning and design thinking to build students’
reach their full potential. capabilities and a practice-oriented mindset.
Interdisciplinarity Interdisciplinarity is both, a core value and a guiding principle that has been central to Ahmedabad University from its very inception. It is a part of our vision to create a unique system where our students can actively shape their intellectual and educational trajectories by making use of the full range of the University’s offerings. We believe that instead of being pushed into narrow and streamlined specialisations, students will thrive in an atmosphere where they are exposed to a diverse variety of perspectives and receive a comprehensive, well-rounded education. Thus, whether it is Engineering students who want to explore the nuances of Public Policy or Management School entrants who wish to take courses in contemporary literature or young musicians who want to kickstart new entrepreneurial ventures; we are committed to making the kind of space that can facilitate these pursuits.
A central focus on interdisciplinarity also influences the way we approach course design. To take an example, the Amrut Mody School of Management has, for the past few years, been conducting “Discovering India”- a two-semester experiential learning course that incorporates an excursion to sites of History, Ethnic Studies, Culture, Politics, Economics and Heritage. Students learn to critically examine the relationships between a nation and its provinces, national and global cultures, the workings of power and the meanings of culture within personal and political perspectives. Past excursions have included the North Indian regions of Banaras, Lucknow and New Delhi; the Kutch region of Gujarat and Chennai in the South.
Ahmedabad University offers Undergraduate Programmes across three schools. Each school has
its own unique institutional character and guiding vision, yet they are all driven by a common
spirit that fosters interdisciplinary learning and organic exchange that strives towards the
development of innovative solutions to present day problems.
Amrut Mody School of Management
The Amrut Mody School of Management is working to
revitalise and evolve management education for the 21st
century. It currently offers a multitude of programmes,
from Undergraduate to Doctoral degrees as well as short
term Certificate programmes. The School works closely
with industry partners to provide a balance between
rigorous practice and strong conceptual education.
Moreover, it strives to bring interdisciplinary inputs to
management students to catalyse innovative attempts
at creating solutions to contemporary problems and
fostering the entrepreneurial visions that might transform
the society of tomorrow.
The Undergraduate programmes at the Amrut Mody
School of Management are all crafted to provide a
thorough and comprehensive grounding in the canonical
subjects in Business Administration and Commerce: be it
Chartered Accountancy, Human Resources Management,
Marketing or Finance. In addition to this however,
the programmes are designed to emphasise practical
engagement, gain experience in real-world applications
and supplement traditional management expertise
with an interdisciplinary framework that will facilitate
novel approaches to business practice. The programmes
include Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours),
Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), Bachelor of Commerce
Professional (Honours) and Integrated Master of Business
Administration.
SCHOOLS AND CENTRES School of Engineering and Applied Science The School of Engineering and Applied Science is an attempt to conduct a unique experiment that hopes to reimagine the structure of science education in India. It offers a series of Undergraduate, Graduate and Doctoral programmes all designed with a student-centric pedagogy that emphasises Project Based Learning. This approach is geared towards instilling an aptitude to solve complex problems, so that our students remain strongly oriented towards design and innovation in everything they do. The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Bachelor of Technology degree equips students with the latest techniques and theoretical frameworks in Engineering and Applied Science. In contrast to the drudgery of traditional science classrooms, the School’s courses are interlaced with hands-on project work that has students actively take up real-world engineering problems and work through them. The pedagogic framework is organised to ensure that students emerge at the end of their programme as confident, resourceful and theoretically sound engineers, who also have a competent grasp of the social and cultural context within which their technological innovations reverberate. School of Arts and Sciences Forming an essential component of Ahmedabad University’s educational experience, the School of Arts and Sciences is working to become a thriving centre for research and higher education in India. Situated within the subcontinent’s indigenous traditions of knowledge and disputation, and on the frontiers of cutting-edge global research across the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, the School aims to create an intellectual environment with a difference. Challenging the popular perception of an unbridgeable gap in disciplinary methods, outcomes and understanding, the School stresses the importance of collaborative, interdisciplinary learning and cross-field methodologies. Comprising five divisions (Biological and Life Sciences, Humanities and Languages, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Performing and Visual Arts, and Social Sciences), the Undergraduate programme enables students to tailor their own curriculum from courses spanning across these divisions as well the other Schools and Centres of the wider University. Students will be provided with a rigorous foundation in the Major of their choice, but all programmes at the School of Arts and Sciences emphasise a comprehensive education that includes inputs from a range of perspectives, and a strong orientation towards innovative, novel, interdisciplinary forms of enquiry. The School offers academic programmes leading to the award of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Bachelor of Science (Honours) degrees.
SCHOOLS AND CENTRES In addition to our different Schools, Ahmedabad University also has a number of different Centres that provide students with a host of exciting opportunities. They organise workshops and courses that Undergraduate students may enrol in and will soon be offering unique interdisciplinary specialisations as well. The Centres are also involved in a series of other projects: spanning from research-oriented undertakings to on-the-ground interventions and the nurturing of young start-ups. All of these initiatives are open to student participation. VentureStudio VentureStudio is the Universty’s incubator that helps students startup an innovation driven enterprise. It also offers a structured six months fellowship programme for nurturing a startup for which academic credits can be earned. Based on a design-thinking approach, its programmes guide aspiring entrepreneurs to arrive at viable products and/or services through the process of concept definition, market and stakeholder identification, and contextual research. VentureStudio goes on to provide support during a project’s incipient stages, help set up the initial venture structure, take the product to its lead customers and scale it up. It also facilitates funds support at Seed, Angel and Venture Capital levels through close association with its partners. A few of the successful ventures developed at the Studio include Cruxbot, Collegebol.com, InterestShip.com, OoWomaniya, and Remarkin.com. VentureStudio is an approved Technology Business Incubator under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and works closely with other incubators and institutions like CIIE-IIMA, TiE, NID, iCreate, and EDI. It also runs a bio incubator, BioNest, that is supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Centre for Learning Futures The Centre for Learning Futures focuses on innovation in teaching and learning. The Centre contributes to the reading and writing programme of the University, supports faculty with new pedagogical experiments and explores technological opportunities to foster multi-lingual communication skills as well as pedagogy.
Centre for Heritage Management Apart from being a hub of industrial and economic activity, the historic city of Ahmedabad has a rich cultural heritage that dates back over 600 years and was even inscribed by UNESCO on its World Heritage list, in July 2017. The Centre for Heritage Management (CHM) is one of its kind in India. It was established to conserve, and more importantly, manage the rich cultural inheritance of the city specifically and the subcontinent in general. The Centre’s scope includes, but is not limited to: monuments, crafts, museums, performing arts, natural resources, tourism, urban development and intangible heritage like languages, music and other arts. Through its Graduate programmes, workshops, events, conferences, research and publications, the Centre promotes awareness of the need for heritage management, facilitates dialogue around relevant issues and collaborates with local and global partners to share the best practices in the field. The Centre’s vision is the inclusion of heritage in all relevant policies and decisions of the country, to make people aware and vigilant about heritage issues, and to take initiatives for protecting and preserving the cultural assets of the nation. Global Centre for Environment and Energy The Global Centre for Environment and Energy addresses research needs at the interfaces of three vital global challenges - the environment, energy and sustainability. The Centre aims to be a world leader in research and education to address global challenges through interlinking Policy, Entrepreneurship, and Science and Technology. It draws on researchers, teachers, experts and students across the University and offers them the landscape to build core competencies to explore, innovate, integrate and solve complex social, technical and economic issues. The Centre offers opportunities for public-private partnership to develop sustainable environment and energy options for future generations. It builds on Ahmedabad University’s core areas of research and education, and collaborates with global institutions of excellence.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Students come to Ahmedabad University to study a discipline or a combination that constitutes a major
or an area of specialisation. They give shape to their own curriculum by taking courses across any of
the Schools and Centres of the University. This is the foundation of liberal education at Ahmedabad
University providing broad and deep learning.
The Undergraduate programme is academically rigorous and prepares a student for a wide range of
careers, graduate education and a world of entrepreneurship.
The academic year runs on a semester system – the Monsoon semester (August –December) and the
Winter semester (January – May). In addition, the Summer Term (May-June) offers an opportunity
to take courses, undertake projects, and engage in an internship. All Undergraduate degrees awarded
at Ahmedabad University, except in Engineering, are honours degrees and require additional research
and thesis/capstone component.
The Undergraduate Programme Curriculum has the following structure:
Foundation Programme
12 credits
General Education Requirements
30 credits
Major Requirements
60 credits
Free Electives and Minor
18 credits
Voluntarism
Mandatory
Total
120 creditsFoundation Programme All students entering the Undergraduate Programme go through a common core, the Foundation Programme, at the start of their academic life at the University. Designed to lay the groundwork for interdisciplinary learning and engage students with societal issues through a project-based approach, the programme is built around six domains: Data Science, Communication, Materials, Biology & Life, Behaviour, and Constitution & Civilisation. These domains cover contemporary academics and life skills in the 21st century, areas of innovation that are transforming the world and perspectives that will help students become responsible members of society. Several of these domains are connected to specific disciplines of study. For instance, the domain Behaviour embeds concepts and ideas from across Psychology, Anthropology, Organisational Behaviour and a number of other disciplines. Students learn about these domains through a thematic enquiry that allows them to develop a holistic questioning approach as well as an application orientation. This not only helps them understand the multiple dimensions that define a problem, but also encourages them to learn the art and science of synthesis. Our thematic areas include such examples as - Water, Environment and Climate Change, Democracy and Justice, Neighbourhoods, Human Capital and Transport, amongst others. These domains of exploration are delivered in modules and may also involve multiple pedagogies. The modules range from field work to experiential learning within a studio format. Reading and writing seminars are integrated within the modules and the programme also aims to build mathematical preparation amongst students, particularly for those who have not done rigorous mathematics during high school. The idea is to engage the students’ imagination with contemporary problems that shape the social and material world that they inhabit. Exploring each theme through a set of domains, and learning through various forms of application will, we believe, culminate in a synoptic and well-rounded perspective, as well as innovative and effective engagement. With new opportunities constantly occurring at the intersection of these domains and thematic areas, students get to experience how a diverse set of knowledge systems is required to solve challenging problems and how they may come together to do so. The Foundation Programme will be evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis, to ensure that students cultivate a sense for the joy and wonder of exploring this foundational material before they are submitted to the necessary rigour and pressures of academic life.
General Education Requirements
The General Education Requirements segment will begin from the second semester onward and can be
taken in conjunction with Major courses or Free Electives. The segment is aimed at building breadth
and ensuring that all students receive sustained input from across disciplines during the course of
their education. It allows for additional exploration over and above the introductory exposure that the
Foundation Programme provides, while also being the site for the development of key skills pertaining
to academic enquiry.
The following will make up the General Education Requirements:
• At least one course of three credits from each of the following areas:
o Humanities & Languages
o Social Sciences
o Mathematical & Physical Sciences
o Biological & Life Sciences
o Performing & Visual Arts
• At least two courses of three credits in mathematical/statistical methods
• Nine credits from anywhere at the university outside of the student’s major. This includes all of the
above areas as well as courses from our engineering and management schools.
Major Requirements
A Major is the area of specialisation within a degree (for example, History or Chemical Engineering
or Economics or Accounting). The student chooses a Major at the time of entering the University but
has flexibility to change the Major as per the prescribed policy. Some schools may require more credits
for a Major than the 60 credits mentioned earlier (in such a case, the total requirements for the degree
will be higher than 120 credits).
A Major may have the following structure:
• School Core
• Discipline Core
• Discipline Electives
• School Electives
• Internships
• Thesis or Capstone project with a writing component
See appendix for a list of Majors and the accompanying degreeFree Electives and Minor
Free Electives provide students an opportunity to pursue any particular area in depth or develop other
areas of expertise or explore other areas of interest. It can take the following form:
• Minor: the University provides a student an opportunity to pursue other areas of interest (in
addition to a Major) by taking a limited number of prescribed courses in a given area. This allows
for exploration of interest and a build-up beyond a cursory expertise in more than one area. The
Free Electives will, hence, be applied towards a Minor. This requirement will be termed as a
Minor and shall be mentioned in the student’s degree. For example, an Engineering student may
do a Major in Mechanical Engineering and may do a Minor in History. Or a Management student
may do a Major in Marketing Management and a Minor in Computer Science. The student can
take a Minor in any area and from any School of the University. However, each School may specify
the prerequisites required to complete a Minor and may also specify a minimum proficiency in
those requirements. For example, the Engineering School may require that the student takes
Mathematics, Physics and/or Chemistry at a certain level. In addition, the Minor outside the
School will have to be approved by the School where the Minor is to be taken. See Appendix for
a list of Minors.
• Students may decide to take more Electives in their area of expertise (or a Major) or build some
expertise in a set of allied areas instead of taking a Minor. They may use their Free Electives to
meet this aspiration.
• Students may develop further breadth by taking courses in their areas of interest across the
university.
Voluntarism
All students will complete a semester long engagement with the society to develop a sense of
engagement, concern, build problem solving skills, and understand the role of an engaged member
of the society. This will be done through a mandatory course, ‘Engagement with Society’, which is a
graduation requirement. This course can be taken anytime during the stay at the University, but it is
advised that the student engages with the courses during the first two years. This course is offered in
many forms and will be offered on a Pass/Fail basis. One of the objectives of this requirement is to
build a value for action in the lives of students.
INTEGRATED PROGRAMMES
Apart from the Bachelors degrees, the University also offers two Integrated programmes. These are
educational pathways where, upon completion, two degrees are awarded at Bachelors and Masters
levels in the same discipline. The number of credits required to complete an Integrated programme
averages around 200 and students are generally expected to apply to the programme at the time of
admission. The University also allows for the possibility of students applying to transfer to an Integrated
programme after having started their studies. A student admitted to the Integrated programme has an
option to exit the programme after four years with Bachelors (Honours) degree upon meeting the
credit requirements of the respective Bachelors programmes.Some of our Our faculty are exceptional scholars from across the world.
Many of the faculty members hold Doctoral degrees from
universities of national and international repute and publish
outstanding Faculty extensively in peer-reviewed journals. With a student-centric
approach, they challenge students’ conventional thinking,
encourage them to strive for excellence and mentor them to
become leaders in their respective fields.
Abrar Ali Saiyed earned his PhD in Management from the Indian Institute
of Management Ahmedabad. His specialisation is in entrepreneurship, strategy
and international business. He teaches “Sociology of a Bazaar” which immerses
students into experiential learning through field trips into the old city of
Ahmedabad. He has a keen interest in social work and promoting local heritage
and culture.
Aditi Deo is an Assistant Professor in Humanities and Languages at the School
of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University. She has a PhD from Indiana
University, Bloomington (USA) in Ethnomusicology, with minors in Folklore
and, Communication and Culture. Her research interest is primarily in the
music of the Indian subcontinent, especially Hindustani Khyal music, Hindi film
music, and the vernacular folk traditions in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
AP Ashwin Kumar is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Learning Futures at
Ahmedabad University. He holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from the Centre
for the Study of Culture and Society, Bengaluru. He has also worked in higher
education grant design and policy review, along with being a literary and
academic translator. Professor Kumar is responsible for coordinating the
activities of the Centre. His role includes developing courses and seminars that
aim at building stronger comprehension and writing abilities in students across
all streams.
Aparajith Ramnath is responsible for research and teaching in the history of
science, technology and business at Ahmedabad University. He holds a PhD from
Imperial College London and has been recognised as an International Scholar
by the Society for History of Technology. He has also received a Liverpool
India Fellowship and a Charles Wallace India Trust research grant. His most
recent publication is a book titled The Birth of an Indian Profession: Engineers,
Industry, and the State, 1900-47 (Oxford University Press, 2017).
Amol Agrawal is an Assistant Professor at the Amrut Mody School of
Management and has completed his Fellow programme in Management
(equivalent to PhD) in the field of Economics from the Indian Institute of
Management, Bangalore. He has more than 10 years of work experience,
primarily as a treasury economist in Mumbai based financial firms. He is also
the author of the highly acclaimed ‘Mostly Economics’ (mostlyeconomics.
wordpress.com) blog, which has consistently ranked amidst top 100 economics
blogs in the world.Ashutosh Kumar is an Assistant Professor in Biological and Life Sciences at
the School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University. He has completed his
PhD in Biotechnology from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research,
Lucknow. His current research areas of interest include nanomedicines for
cancer and arthritis therapy, nano-emulsion for food industries, DNA biochips
for pathogen detection, and environmental nanotechnology. Professor Kumar
was conferred the NASI – Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award (2015) and
INSA Medal for Young Scientist (2014) for his scientific contributions in the
area of Health Sciences.
Bibek Banerjee is the Senior Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Planning at
Ahmedabad University. His research publications have appeared in several
major international academic journals. Professor Banerjee spent two decades
at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) as Professor of
Marketing and Economics, where he provided leadership to create IIMA’s
successful collaboration with Duke University’s Corporate Education Centre
for Executive Education. He has taught senior executives all around the world,
and his current teaching interests span sustainable and integrated business
orientation, strategic marketing and leadership across hierarchies. Professor
Banerjee received his PhD in Industrial Organisation and Marketing Science,
and his MS in Economics from Purdue University, USA.
Chakravarthi Rangarajan is a Distinguished University Professor at
Ahmedabad University. He is a leading economist of India who has played a
key role both as an academic and a policy-maker. He has held several important
positions which include Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Governor
of Andhra Pradesh, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory
Council, Chairman of the Twelfth Finance Commission and President of the
Indian Economic Association. He obtained his PhD from the University of
Pennsylvania and has authored several books on the Indian economy. Professor
Rangarajan has been a recipient of several prestigious awards. In recognition of
his distinguished service to the country, the Government of India honoured him
with the Padma Vibhusan in 2002 (India’s second highest civilian award).
Devanath Tirupati is a leading academic in the field of operations
management. Professor Tirupati received his PhD from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. He is currently the Dean of the Amrut Mody School
of Management. He has an exhaustive list of publications in international
peer-reviewed journals in India and abroad. He was the Dean and Acting
Director of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and Airbus
Chair Professor of Sourcing and Supply Management at IIMB. Prior to that, he
was associated with IIM Ahmedabad as Professor and with Melbourne Business
School Australia as Visiting Professor. He also held the position of Associate Professor at the University
of Texas at Austin where he received the Presidential Young Investigator Award from NSF. At IIMA,
he was the Chairman, Admissions Committee; Chairman, Centre for Innovation, Incubation &
Entrepreneurship; Member Vikalpa; Member, Faculty Development & Evaluation Committee; and
Chairman of the Doctoral Program.Before joining academics, he had worked with the Planning
Commission, Department of Atomic Energy and the private sector. He is a member of INFORMS,
Operations Research Society of India, Production and Operations Management Society, and Society
of Operations Management.Deepak Kunzru is a Distinguished Professor at Ahmedabad University. He
recently retired as Professor of Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur where
he was the Chevron Chair Professor. He received his PhD from the University
of Pittsburgh, USA. He was also a Visiting Professor in the Department of
Chemical Engineering, MIT, USA. Professor Kunzru’s main research interests
are in the area of micro-structured reactors, chemical reaction engineering,
pyrolysis of hydrocarbons, and petroleum processing. He has published more
than 100 papers in reputed international journals and has edited one book.
His current research focuses on the use of monolithic reactors for gas-liquid
reactions and steam reforming of methane, production of hydrogen from
ethanol in microchannel reactors, and the development of catalysts for hydro-
desulphurisation.
Dhaval Patel is an Assistant Professor at the School of Engineering and
Applied Science at Ahmedabad University. Previously, he was associated with
Olin School of Engineering, USA (as a visiting faculty), Nirma University and
Charotar University of Science and Technology. He is a TPC member of many
international conferences in USA and India, besides a reviewer in International
and National Journals like IEEE Transaction on Wireless Communications, IEEE
Access, NASA Journal of Physical Science and IEEE Communication letters.
Furthermore, he is an executive committee member of IEEE Signal Processing
Society, ISTE and IETE. His areas of interest include Cyber Physical System, 5G
Wireless Networks, Non-parametric statistics, Cognitive Radio-Physical Layer,
MIMO Communications and Statistical Signal Processing.
Jeemol Unni holds a PhD from the Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and
Social Research, Ahmedabad. Before joining Ahmedabad University she was the
Director of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and RBI Chair
Professor of Economics at IRMA. Her special focus in the areas of rural and urban
labour markets is on the process of informalisation of labour and production
systems, and its gender implications. In addition, her research addresses issues
of returns to education and social protection to informal workers including
both social and economic securities. She actively collaborates with national and
international NGOs while addressing issues related to workers in the informal
sector, particularly women.
Manomohini Dutta is an Assistant Professor in Humanities and Languages
at the School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University. She has a PhD in
Asian Cultures and Languages from the University of Texas at Austin, USA.
She will develop a broad agenda for teaching and research in her current areas
of Law and Religion, Hindu Legal Traditions, Pre-Modern Indian History, and
Sanskrit.
Neha Jain is an Assistant Professor in Biological and Life Sciences at the
School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University. She has completed a PhD
in Molecular Biophysics from the Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research, Mohali. She has done her postdoctoral training at the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. Her research focuses on the role of microbes in
neurodegenerative diseases.Pallavi Vyas holds a PhD in Public Policy from the Harris School of Public
Policy, University of Chicago. She also holds an MA in Economics from
Bowling Green State University. She is currently a consultant to the World
Bank and to the Centre for Construction Research and Training. Between 1999
and 2008, Pallavi worked as an economist in economic litigation consulting
at Economic Analysis/LECG, in Los Angeles. Her work included analysis in
antitrust, securities, brand valuation and corporate labour cases. Prior to joining
Economic Analysis/LECG, she worked at the Milken Institute in Santa Monica
as a Research Analyst on global economic issues.
Patrick French is the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad
University. He is also Professor for Public Understanding of the Humanities,
advocating for their importance in a well-rounded, modern education. Dr French
is an award-winning historian and biographer, and has a PhD in South Asian
Studies and an MA in English Literature, both from Edinburgh University. An
author of several books, he is presently researching the official biography of the
Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing. He is a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University’s
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, and in 2018
will be the Derek Brewer Visiting Fellow at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
Priyadarshi Shukla is a Distinguished Professor at Ahmedabad University. He
holds a PhD from Stanford University in Management Science and Engineering.
He is a leading author of several international reports which includes nine
reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He has been
awarded a certificate for his ‘Contribution to the Award of Nobel Peace Prize’ for
2007 to the IPCC. Dr Shukla specialises in energy and environment modelling
and policies. At Ahmedabad University, he will build an interdisciplinary
academic centre that engages with global issues of energy and environment.
Raghavan Rangarajan is the Dean of the Undergraduate College at Ahmedabad
University and a Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences. He was earlier
on the faculty of the Theoretical Physics Division at the Physical Research
Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad for over twenty years. His areas of research
are cosmology and particle physics, and he works primarily on processes that
occurred soon after the Big Bang in the very early Universe. He obtained his
PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his undergraduate
degree from Princeton University.
Ramadhar Singh is a Distinguished University Professor at Ahmedabad
University. He has previously worked with the National University of Singapore,
IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Kanpur. He earned his PhD in social
psychology from Purdue University. Professor Singh was the only psychologist
from India to be included in the Association for Psychological Science website
on Faces and Minds of Psychological Science. Professor Singh is a Fellow of
the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological
Science, the British Psychological Society, the Society of Personality and Social
Psychology, the Singapore Psychological Society, and the National Academy of
Psychology (India).Samuel Wright is Assistant Professor in the Humanities and Languages
division of the School of Arts and Sciences. He is an intellectual historian of
South Asia with particular interest in the circulation of ideas, the history of
knowledge, and linkages between philosophical arguments and social contexts.
He engages with questions that span several early modern archives, especially
those in Sanskrit and Bengali. He is currently working on two monographs. The
first is a project on the intellectual history of Sanskrit logic in early modern India
(to be submitted in 2018). The second is a project on scholar networks in South
Asia during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He completed his PhD
from the University of Chicago and taught previously at Nalanda University. He
serves on the advisory board for the Journal of South Asian Intellectual History.
Subhash Rajpurohit is an Assistant Professor in Biological and Life Sciences
at the School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University. He is a broadly
trained ecological and evolutionary physiologist who studies spatiotemporal
variations (cline, seasonality and rapid adaptation), climate and metabolic rate,
and urban evolution. His approach goes from ‘macro-physiology to molecules’.
Currently, his laboratory is focusing on ‘organismal responses to climate change’
and projecting Indian drosophilids as a natural laboratory for evolutionary
biology.
Sunil Kale is the Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at
Ahmedabad University. He has over thirty years of experience in teaching and
research in mechanical engineering, particularly in heat and mass transfer,
fluid mechanics, combustion, and fire dynamics. He completed his PhD and
Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. He has several
publications on topics such as the experimental study of the effects of water
mist characteristics on pool fire suppression, burning of vertical cloth panels, air
flow through a non-airconditioned bus with open windows, and flows through
micro-channels.UNIQUE LEARNING INITIATIVES
The University’s educational ethos is rooted in the idea that creative and resourceful individuals
emerge from being exposed to a wide variety of perspectives and experiences. In keeping with this
idea, the University engages in a series of unique initiatives: from personal interactions with renowned
thinkers, to valuable inputs from distinguished guest faculty and international collaborators. Our
learning initiatives are tailored to broaden the students’ horizons by providing them with forms of
exposure not easily available in other circumstances.
The Nalanda Industrial Visits
The Nalanda, our student-initiated, Industrial visits allow students to see first-hand
multi-disciplinary programme encourages how what they learn in the classroom is applied
students to learn by asking questions in an in the real world. Some of the companies recently
interactive session with deep thinkers in society. visited by students include Mundra Port, Vadilal
Leading IT Industry Innovator and Co-Founder Ice cream - Ahmedabad, Amul Dairy, Charankha
of Mindtree Ltd., Mr Subroto Bagchi, led the first Solar Project, Arvind Mills, Ingersoll Rand and
Nalanda session on the topic of “Purpose Driven Tata Motors.
Leadership.” Other thinkers who have interacted
with students include architects B V Doshi
and Rajeev Kathpalia, Professor Anil Gupta
Project Based Learning
of National Innovation Foundation, Professor
Instead of the traditional lecture-based method,
Apoovanand of Delhi University, defense analyst
our emphasis is on engagement with the
Colonel Ajay Shukla, and eminent Kathak dancer
context and application of concepts. Ahmedabad
and choreographer Kumudini Lakhia.
University implements project-based learning
(ENABLE) and design thinking as important
methodologies for building student capabilities of
“how to learn” through practical application. We
have partnered with the US-based Olin College
of Engineering in implementing project-based
pedagogies, especially in the Engineering and
Management programmes.Independent Study Period Ahmedabad University has a unique term called the Independent Study Period (ISP) during which the University invites a series of highly regarded practitioners and theorists from different fields to offer a variety of courses not available during the regular curricular periods of the semesters. The courses are interdisciplinary in nature, driven around a passion, and rooted in theory. Offerings include block courses, studio-inspired experiential courses, courses on perspective building and innovative experiments in learning. A few examples of past ISP courses include: • Anatomy of Automobiles • Art of Science and Math • The Sociology of a Bazaar • Design Thinking, Designing Thinking • Clues Never Lie • Making of a Musical Instrument • Mud to Mural • The World of Science Fiction All courses have credits assigned and all students are required to register for a minimum number of credits during the ISP. Undergraduate Research Programme Many of the world’s greatest scientific discoveries were brought about by people who relentlessly followed their innate curiosity and passion, often in the face of great adversity. A quest for the highest quality of research by both faculty and students is a core aspect of our academic environment. Through our Undergraduate Research Programme (UGRP) students have an opportunity to extensively explore a particular issue or idea. They have the option of doing so by working independently, under the supervision of a professor or alongside a faculty member, assisting in their lab work and research projects. State-of-the-art laboratory facilities are made available to senior Undergraduate students so that they are exposed to using sophisticated equipment at an early stage in their academic life, making them better prepared for Graduate School and a research-oriented career.
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS Ahmedabad University collaborates with several leading international research universities for all-round academic development of the Undergraduate and Graduate students, as well as faculty and staff. These collaborations provide invaluable experience in cross-cultural teamwork and exposure to international experts to build global perspectives. Our Centres are paving the way in this domain with several illustrious international partnerships. Stanford University’s Center for Design Research and VentureStudio are helping to develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ahmedabad through coaching and designing of enterprise methodology. The eight-hundred-year-old University of Valladolid, Spain, and the seven-hundred-year-old University of Ferrara, Italy, are working closely with the Centre for Heritage Management to develop programmes and research activities in the area of heritage. In our Schools, our collaboration with the Olin College of Engineering, USA is accelerating project-based learning especially in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. This year a major milestone was reached when a uniquely crafted international practicum was kicked-off under the sponsorship of industry partners. Under this collaborative practicum, our Engineering students teamed up with their peers in Harvey Mudd College, Clairmont in California, to solve for live engineering challenge projects. A significant collaboration with University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management was inked in the space of Executive Education, under which a Global Executive MBA Programme in Pharmaceutical Management was launched. This programme has been curated in close collaboration with the Pharmaceutical industry for the benefit of their senior executives and entrepreneurs, and will draw upon world class multi-disciplinary faculty from UC San Diego, Ahmedabad University and senior industry leaders from across the globe. This year saw an increase in momentum of international student mobility at Ahmedabad University. Several students benefited from studying at University of Applied Sciences in NYSA, Poland, Rennes School of Business in France, Valladolid University in Spain, etc. Many more mobility activities are being scheduled across several new universities such as Hollins University, USA, SOAS University of London and University of Bradford, UK.
STUDENT LIFE
At Ahmedabad University, we believe that a fulfilling education extends beyond the classroom, to the
wider culture and engagements that student life is composed of. We are committed to creating the
conditions that facilitate a vibrant student community, with a strong support system, easily accessible
resources, numerous extracurricular activities and events, as a well as opportunities to explore and
immerse yourself in the culture of the wider city of Ahmedabad.
Sports Student Associations, Clubs
and Cultural Activities
Sport nurtures a healthy spirit of competition
and teamwork while also enabling students an
To enrich student life on campus, Ahmedabad
opportunity to display and excel in sportsmanship.
University encourages a series of extracurricular
Every year we host a number of inter-collegiate
activities and student clubs are one of its most
tournaments in various outdoor sports such
thriving initiatives. The clubs currently active on
as Cricket, Football, Basketball, Volleyball,
campus are: The Management Club, The Fitness
Badminton, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho as well as indoor
Club, The Social Service Forum, The Dance
games such as Table Tennis, Chess and Carom.
Club, The Photography Club, The Theatre Club,
On a day-to-day basis, students have access to
The Fine Arts Club, The Music Club, The Quiz
outstanding sports facilities such as the AES
Club, The Science Club and The Literary Club.
Sports Complex, Cricket grounds, a Basketball
court, a Volleyball court, as well as provisions for
Apart from these activities, Ahmedabad
a host of indoor games.
University also makes an effort to host a variety
of cultural activities including internationally
acclaimed music festivals, state and national level
quiz competitions, project-proposal programmes
and numerous social events.Ahmedabad: The City as Your Classroom As the economic capital of the state of Gujarat and one of the world’s fastest-growing cities, Ahmedabad provides a unique context for learning. At the University, we hope to make the most of this rich backdrop in our educational endeavours. We ensure that our students learn to connect theories learned in the classroom to real-life experiences, whether it be through an internship with an organisation, a service project with a local NGO, industry visits to some of the city’s biggest companies or hearing industry leaders and entrepreneurs share their experiences as guest speakers on the campus. Moreover, given that Ahmedabad is one of the safest cities in India, with some of the best infrastructure in the country, it is an ideal location for field-trips and excursion-oriented education. To this end, a number of our courses – City as a Text, Sociology of a Bazaar and Experiencing Heritage - immerse students into the local terrain and engage with novel concepts through practical and experiential modules carried out in the field. Finally, the city of Ahmedabad offers numerous intellectual, cultural, and social opportunities for students to get involved in life beyond the classroom. Amongst these are opportunities to participate in a variety of inter-college, inter-university, state, national and international competitions; as well as explore local cultural events, talks, music and performance festivals, community activities and other interesting initiatives. Our location in the city’s centre and in its educational district provides easy access to theatres, restaurants offering global and regional cuisines, the street food culture of Law Garden and Manek Chowk, as well as several cultural spaces like the LD Museum of Indology, Calico Museum, Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, the Kanoria Centre for the Arts, Ahmedabad ni Gufa, and their vibrant cafes and community spaces.
STUDENT SUPPORT There are many preconditions that need to be met before a student can excel at academic life: settling into a new rhythm, making difficult decisions about one’s career paths and resolving health-related issues, amongst others. The University makes sure that it provides all the guidance and help necessary for students to be able to overcome these challenges and focus on their studies to reach their full potential. In doing so, it has instituted a variety of support mechanisms that include: Student Wellness Initiatives Ahmedabad University has made it a priority to ensure that it can provide adequate support whenever any health-related need arises. Thus, the University provides health services including free medical consultations, mandatory health check-up, Thalassemia screening, blood donation, health talks and health awareness campaigns Although not often perceived as such, mental health issues can be just as debilitating as physical ones, and the University encourages all of its students to tend to their emotional needs. In order to help facilitate this, the University’s centre for Student Support, Engagement, and Tutelage (SSETU) provides counsellors who are available to all for walk-in consultations, as well as sustained therapeutic engagement. In addition to this, it has also partnered with the online portal YourDOST which provides students with the option of interacting with counsellors online while preserving their anonymity.
The Circle of Care The transition from school to university can be challenging for some students. In order to assist fresh Undergraduates through this phase, SSETU has instituted a very significant initiative, the Circle of Care. The incoming class is distributed into groups of 12 – 14 students from across our various Schools and programmes to form a Friends Circle, the first group of friends for the incoming students. The Friends Circle is paired with a Faculty Advisor and a Student Mitr (or friend) who is a senior student. The goal is to provide incoming students with a support system that can provide friendship, academic advice as well as guidance in adjusting to the University. The Circle of Care also includes Programme Chairs, the University Counsellor and the Career Development Centre to provide additional academic and career guidance and emotional support, as needed. University Residence Hall All out-of-city students can avail our limited residence hall facilities located very close to the University campus. We provide airconditioned rooms equipped with individual beds, wardrobes, study tables, and Wi-Fi connectivity along with food, standard housekeeping, as well as laundry and security services. Women’s Development Cell With the intention to equalise genders, and in accordance with the UGC and the Supreme Court of India, Ahmedabad University has set up the Women’s Development Cell (WDC). The WDC organises various activities and awareness programmes relevant to our female student body and faculty. Activities include self-defence classes, female health awareness, anaemia awareness, gender sensitisation, emotional hygiene and more. We also provide a platform for women to share and discuss gender-related issues as well as address grievances.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTRE The majority of our Undergraduate students pursue higher education after graduation, join reputed companies, take up family businesses or become entrepreneurs. The University’s Career Development Centre helps prepare students for careers after their University education. It provides counselling on areas of interest, information on various industries and guidance to those seeking Graduate education. It also organises aptitude tests and workshops that give students a better sense of their own predispositions and the kind of work they would enjoy doing. Each year our students secure high ranks in CA and CS examinations, undertake articleship at companies such as Deloitte, PWC, Ernst & Young and KPMG. They pursue graduate studies at the best institutions in the country - such as IIM (Ahmedabad, Benguluru, and Kolkata) and IIT - as well as abroad, at institutions like King’s College London, Stanford University, Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, Babson College, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin, among many others. The Career Development Centre actively provides assistance with finding internships and identifying job opportunities for placement. Some of the companies with which we have working partnerships and where our students have been employed include: • Akshaya Patra • Faurecia Automotive • Radio Mirchi • Amara Raja • Ferromatic Milacron • Reliance Retail • Amazon • Ford India • rtCamp • Amul • Gateway Technolabs • S&P Global • Arvind Ltd. • Godrej & Boyce • Sales India • Asahi Ltd. • GTPL Hathway • SBI Life Insurance • Asian Paints • Havells India • SmartPrix • Axis Bank • LendingKart • Streebo Inc • Berger Paints • Lumium Design • Sunheart Ceramik • Birla Sun Life • Mancer Consulting • SVIP Airport • Byte Prophecy • Maruti Tech Labs • Tatvic • Cadila Pharmaceuticals • Mate Motherson • Tekman India • Capital First • Matrix Comsec • Torrent Power • Compass India • Maxxis Rubbers • Urban Clap • Cosmo Films • Modtech World • Vodafone • Coviam • MRF • VVDN Technologies • Decathlon • Nestle • Yes Bank • Directi • Niksun Ad World Inc. • Yes Foundation • DSP Blackrock Investment • Nirma • Zed Lifestyle (Beardo) • DynamicElement • Oerlikon India • Zeus Learning • Elko EP • Optimal Media Solution • Zomato • EXL Services • Pi Square • Fab India • PURO Wellness
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